The long-term objective is to develop and commercialize a human vaccine providing broad protection against septic syndromes caused by gram- negative bacteria. The specific aims are: 1) to isolate a completely deacylated LPS antigen from E. coli, J5; 2) is isolate a novel glycoprotein for use as a vaccine carrier; 3) to prepare a conjugate vaccine comprised of antigen molecules covalently linked to the carrier; 4) to test this conjugate vaccine in mice for its ability to elicit LPS- neutralizing antibodies; and 5) to correlate this response with the vaccine's ability to protect mice against toxic LPS challenges. Conjugation of antigen to the carrier is expected to provide a vaccine that elicits a strong anamnestic response eliciting protective antibodies to shared LPS epitopes in the Enterobacteriaceae family. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The new vaccine will provide protective benefits for humans at high risk of developing sepsis and septic shock. These include elderly patients with chronic diseases, patients treated with aggressive chemotherapies or immunosuppressive therapies, and victims of severe traumatic injury. The new carrier used in the vaccine could also have applications in many other vaccines employing carbohydrate antigens.